"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. " - Romans 12:2 (NLT)
We've looked at physical health and we've looked at spiritual health. Today, I want us to look at mental health. Why is it so important that I learn how to manage my mind? Let me give you three reasons.
A. Your thoughts control your life. Every single action always begins as a thought. If you don't think it, you don't do it. If it's a good thought you're going to do good. If it's a bad thought you're going to do bad.
"Above all, be careful what you think becaase your thoughts control your life." - Proverbs 4:23 (Easy to Read)
B. Your mind is the battleground for sin. In fact all temptation starts in the mind. We think temptation is something out there, something external, something that happens that we see out there and we say that's tempting to me. It wouldn't tempt you if there wasn't appealing to a desire within you. All temptation starts - between your ears. As a result sin happens in your mind.
"Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death." - James 1:14-15 (NLT)
Notice the three steps involved in temptation and sin:
1) Desire - God has given us legitimate desires - for love, for success, etc. But temptation always makes an appeal for us to fulfill legitimate desires in illegitimate, sinful ways. Lack of right thinking can lead us to believe the lie that our desires can be fulfilled in sinful ways.
2) Deception - As a result of a lack of right thinking, we can easily fall into a pattern of sinful behavior that we are deceived into thinking will fulfill our desires. But in reality, sinful behavior is leading to . . .
3) Death - Rather than fulfilling our desires for friendship, to be loved, or to succeed, sinful behaviors do the opposite sin brings death to them.
C. It's the key to peace and happiness. An unmanaged mind brings stress instead of stability.
"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." - James 1:8 (KJV)
Now, you're the only one who can control your thoughts. Satan can't control your thoughts. He'd like to, but he can't. Even God isn't going to control your thoughts. God can transform us, but only as WE, change the way we think. So if I want to break free from all those bad patterns of thinking, so God can transform me, I need to make some choices.
1. I must choose to feed my mind with truth.
"And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” - John 8:32 (NIV)
Notice that before the truth can set you free, you need to know it!
In England, there is a group known as the Oxford Analytica. Each day, the leading scholars of Oxford get reports from around the world about what's happened in the previous 24 hours; and then discuss them. From crop prices in China, to unrest in the Middle East, to weather on the east coast. Then they decide what needs to be said about each subject and who is most qualified to speak to it. Then they email that person. By 11 AM, they issue a report and the Oxford Analytica Report is paid for by various world leaders and heads of major corporations. They look to Oxford Analytica to get their daily report and pay big bucks for the information.
Oxford Analytica is founded on the idea that the best leaders make the best decision when they have the best information. Does that make sense? Of course. You've got to have the best information to make the best decision and the whole purpose is to get the best information on the world situation in the last twenty four hours.
You and I need the best information to live the best life that God wants us to live; and that information is in the Bible. It's called the Truth.
2. I must choose to free my mind from destructive patterns.
When it comes to changing the way we think, we need to identify wrong patterns and correct them. Now, in seeing our thoughts set free from destructive patterns, we need to realize that this is an aspect of spiritual warfare, because every Christian faces three enemies who influence your thoughts and are not going to give up ground easily.
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
What are the enemies of every Christian?
1. The old nature - Each of us has old ways of thinking that must be changed. That's what Paul refers to as a "stronghold," "a hold that is strong." It's a way of thinking that was all we knew before we came to Christ, but now we are to think differently. Unless we choose to think the way God's truth tells us to, we default to our old ways of thinking.
2. The Devil - As a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit, and Satan can't make you do anything, because "Greater is he that is in me than he who is in the world," (1 John 4:4). Satan can't control your mind; but he can suggest thoughts to you; and what he suggests are always lies (John 8:44). These are the "pretensions" Paul speaks of. A pretension is a lie that pretends to be truth. Satan reinforces destructive patterns by suggesting you believe his lies as opposed to God's truth. Because he knows that what one believes determines how they will live.
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." - Proverbs 2327 (NKJV)
3. The world - The world isn't helping you be a more disciplined, are they? No. Every ad says, "You deserve a break. today. Have it your way." Sprite says “Obey your thirst." In other words, be an animal and do whatever you feel like. That's the message of the world, promoted by advertisers, movies, television, songs and celebrities.
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." - L John 2:16 (NIV)
The world is all about finding fulfillment in things that do not last. The world says to pursue passion (lust of the flesh); possessions (lust of the eyes); or position (pride of life). Everything around you encourages you to seek fulfillment in things that do not fulfill and do not last.
These are the "arguments" Paul mentions. How do we overcome our old nature, the Devil, and the world? As Paul puts it, "we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
The best way to train bank tellers to identify counterfeit bills is to make them familiar with the real thing. The more they handle real money, the less likely a counterfeit will be accepted. A counterfeit bill can look like a genuine note and feel like a genuine note to most people. But for those who are familiar with real currency, they can see and feel the difference. Likewise, we recognize that which is false by becoming more and more familiar with that which is true.
3. I must choose to focus my mind on the right things.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, und right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." - Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
We can only focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a myth. And if I am focused on the right things, I don't have time to focus on the wrong things. While the qualities listed by Paul might take in any number of things we can focus our thoughts on, as we look to God's truth in His Word for guidance, at least three come to mind.
A. Jesus – “Think about Jesus." - Hebrews 12:3 (Easy to Read)
You've heard it said that you become what you think about most. If I think about Jesus, guess what I'm going to become like? Like Jesus.
B. Others - This runs counter to today's culture, which is all about me.
“Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." - Philippians 2:4 (NLT)
C. Eternity - To be of any earthly good, I need to be heavenly minded.
"Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.'- Colossians 3:2 (The Message)
How do I learn to see things from Christ's perspective? By renewing my thinking through the Word of God.
Conclusion: If we are going to see like Jesus, serve like Jesus and be like Jesus; if we are going to overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil; and if we are going to get in on God's best. We need to make the same choice the psalmist made.
"I have made up my mind to obey Your laws forever, no matter what." - Psalm l19:ll2 (CEV)
